Saturday, July 21, 2012

During the World Congress of Chess Composition (WCCC) of 2010 in Crete, there were various composition contests.
For the 13th Sabra Composing Ty, we should compose an orthodox helpmate two-mover, where
B1 (first black move) : a black piece captures a white which closes a line
W1 (first white move) : a white piece, of line movement, arrives on this line
B2 (second black move) : the black piece, which made the capture, moves.

The Exercise is the following :
For the following position, (heterodoxe, because on d8 there is a Grasshopper), there are solutions when the bK is placed on squares e8 and g8.
Try to find a very economical modification (translocation or addition or removal of a piece), with which the problem has solution when the bK is placed on square c8.

Thursday, July 05, 2012

During the composition process of a chess problem we may have a low target, while it may be possible to create something better by adding a few pieces. For example, we will see a weak problem, helpmate two-mover with condition Circe, and how much can be improved.
Reminder : The condition Circe says "the captured piece is reborn in its initial position in a normal OTB chess game".

Low target : wR and bK exchange places.

4k3/3p1p1p/pK6/4B3/8/R7/8/8
(3 + 5)

Problem-589
Manolas Emmanuel
original
h#2, Circe, 2111

1.Kd8 Rg3 2.Kc8 Rg8#
1.Kf8 Rc3 2.Kg8 Rc8#

The pawn bPa6 stops undesired solutions (if captured by wR, it is reborn on a7 and stops mate on a8). Similar role plays the wBe5, being active on one solution only - not good.

Higher target : In each solution we have a different castling.

4k3/3p1p1p/pK6/4B3/8/RP6/8/1r6
(4 + 6)

Problem-590
Manolas Emmanuel
original
h#2, Circe, 2111

1.Ra1 Rxa1(+bRh8) 2.0-0 Rg1#
1.Rxb3(+wPb2)+ Rxb3(+bRa8) 2.0-0-0 Rc3#

Now the problem is better, because we use actively the condition Circe, and the play has become more interesting. The white pieces are active in both solutions. The two solutions are omo-strategic and no move is repeated in the solutions.

Even higher target : In each solution we have a different castling, but a black line is closed and the square, from which the mate is given, is not observed anymore.

4k3/3p1p1p/1K6/1R2B3/1r1P4/1P6/8/2q5
(5 + 6)

Πρόβλημα-591
Manolas Emmanuel
original
h#2, Circe, 2111

1.Rxd4(+wPd2) Bxd4(+bRh8) 2.0-0 Rg5#
1.Rc4 bxc4(+bRa8) 2.0-0-0 Rc5#

A white pawn moves and closes the observation line of the bQ towards the square (g5 or c5) from which the wR gives the mate.

Other directions of composition : We keep the different castlings in each solution and we try other continuations.

4k3/3p1p1p/1K6/4B2p/4p3/3p3R/8/6r1
(3 + 8)

Problem-592
Manolas Emmanuel
original
h#2, Circe, 2111

1.Ra1 Bxa1(+bRh8) 2.0-0 Rg3#
1.Rh1 Rxh1(+bRa8) 2.0-0-0 Rc1#

The bR is captured on the squares a1 and h1 from different white pieces. Not very important.

4k3/3p1p1p/1K6/1R2B3/1r1p4/8/8/2r3b1
(3 + 8)

Problem-593
Manolas Emmanuel
original
h#2, Circe, 2111

1.Rbb1 Rxb1(+bRa8) 2.0-0-0 Rxc1(+bRh8)#
1.Rb2 Rxb2(+bRh8) 2.0-0 Rg2#

The bR is captured on the squares b1 and b2 and the theme is bicolored Bristol.

The bR captures one wR and is captured from the other, and the bicolored Bristol is happening reciprocally in the two solutions.
With repeated application of the condition Circe, white and black Rooks are reborn in the four corners of the chessboard.
The black Grasshopper stops an undesirable solution (not good).
(This composition was made for a tourney, which allowed one white piece to be idle).

Exercises of the day

Every day the website www.shredderchess.com offers to the readers of the blogs three easy chess exercises. They are given in three levels of difficulty, (L1, L2, and L3), and you may give the solution by moving the pieces with the mouse pointer. Below the diagram is then shown if the answer is correct or not.

If you miss OTB play...

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